John the Baptist Coloring Pages — Free Printable

John the Baptist coloring pages — the forerunner of Christ

John the Baptist is the last and greatest of the Old Testament-style prophets, the bridge between the Old Covenant and the New. Born to Zechariah and Elizabeth six months before Jesus' birth (Luke 1), he grew up in the wilderness, began preaching repentance at around age 30, baptized Jesus in the Jordan, and was beheaded by Herod Antipas. Jesus himself said of him, "Among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist" (Matthew 11:11).

This John the Baptist section holds every page on the site depicting the prophet, from his miraculous birth through his death — with age-tier policy carefully calibrated for the violence in the latter narratives.

The major John the Baptist scenes

Birth narratives

• The annunciation to Zechariah (Luke 1:5-25) — the angel Gabriel in the temple
• The visitation (Luke 1:39-56) — Mary visits Elizabeth, John leaps in the womb
• The birth of John (Luke 1:57-66) — Zechariah's speech returns
• Zechariah's Benedictus (Luke 1:67-79) — the prophetic song

Wilderness preaching

• John in the wilderness (Matthew 3:1-4, Mark 1:1-6, Luke 3:1-3) — camel's hair, leather belt, locusts and wild honey
• John preaching repentance (Matthew 3:5-12, Luke 3:7-14) — "Brood of vipers!" / "What should we do?"
• John baptizing crowds at the Jordan (Matthew 3:5-6) — multitudes coming from Jerusalem

The baptism of Jesus

• John baptizes Jesus (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22) — the most-illustrated John the Baptist scene — the dove, the voice from heaven
• John testifies to Jesus (John 1:29) — "Behold, the Lamb of God"

John's disciples and final ministry

• John points his disciples to Jesus (John 1:35-37) — Andrew leaves John to follow Jesus
• John's question from prison (Matthew 11:2-6) — "Are you the one who is to come?"
• Jesus' praise of John (Matthew 11:7-15) — "more than a prophet"

Imprisonment and death

• John imprisoned by Herod (Matthew 14:1-5) — for confronting Herod about his marriage to Herodias
• The beheading of John the Baptist (Matthew 14:6-12, Mark 6:14-29) — adult-tier content only

John the Baptist for Advent

In the Christian liturgical year, John the Baptist is the central figure of the second and third Sundays of Advent. Most denominations follow this pattern (Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist), making John the Baptist primarily an Advent figure in seasonal use.

The Advent emphasis: John as the voice in the wilderness preparing the way for the Messiah. Isaiah 40:3 quoted in the gospels — "A voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord; make straight paths for him.'"

For families and churches doing Advent devotion, John the Baptist becomes the bridge between the Old Testament prophetic anticipation (covered in week 1) and the Annunciation narratives (covered in week 4).

Sunday school workflow for John the Baptist

A 4-session John the Baptist unit (often done during Advent):

Session 1 — The miraculous birth

• Read Luke 1:5-25 and 1:57-66
• Color the angel-and-Zechariah scene and the family-after-the-birth scene
• Discussion: "God answered Zechariah and Elizabeth's prayer after many years. When has God answered your prayer in his own time?"

Session 2 — The wilderness prophet

• Read Matthew 3:1-12
• Color John in the wilderness scene
• Discussion: "John lived simply in the wilderness. What does it mean to live simply?"

Session 3 — The baptism of Jesus

• Read Matthew 3:13-17
• Color the baptism scene
• Discussion: "John knew Jesus was the Messiah. How do we recognize Jesus today?"

Session 4 — Pointing to Jesus

• Read John 1:29-37
• Color the "Behold the Lamb of God" scene
• Discussion: "John's job was to point to Jesus. How do we point others to Jesus?"

This 4-week John the Baptist unit pairs naturally with Advent or with a standalone "prophet" unit in a Sunday school year.

Age-tier policy on the beheading

The beheading of John the Baptist is one of the most violent narratives in the gospels. Our age-tier policy:

Preschool (ages 3-5)

The beheading is not depicted, not referenced. Preschool John the Baptist content stops at "John baptizes Jesus." The death of John is not introduced at this developmental stage.

Kids (ages 5-10)

The beheading is referenced in the curriculum ("John was killed for telling the truth"), but not visualized. No imagery of the head on a platter, no Salome dance, no Herod's banquet. The kids' tier focuses on John's faithfulness to truth, not the gruesome details of his death.

Teens (ages 11-14)

The narrative is fully told, with the political and moral complexity that surrounds it. Imagery is restrained (depicting the prison or the moment of confrontation, not the beheading itself).

Adults

Full narrative available, including the traditional Western Christian art treatments of the beheading. Adult Catholic devotional pages include the head-on-a-platter imagery for art-historical and contemplative use.

Editorial standards for John the Baptist content

Standard editorial policy applies. Three John the Baptist-specific notes:

Iconographic conventions

John is depicted with consistent conventions:

• Camel's hair tunic (Matthew 3:4, Mark 1:6) — the rough wilderness garment
• Leather belt around his waist — Old Testament prophet typology
• Long unkempt hair and beard — the wilderness ascetic look
• Pointing toward Jesus (in baptism scenes) — the iconographic "ecce agnus Dei" gesture
• Holding a long staff with a cross (in adult devotional pages) — traditional Catholic depiction
• The lamb at his feet — symbolic of "Behold the Lamb of God"

Historical and cultural accuracy

The wilderness setting is depicted accurately — the rocky Judean wilderness, not a forest. The Jordan River is depicted as a relatively narrow muddy river (not a wide blue waterway). The first-century Jewish religious context is rendered carefully.

Theological framing

John is treated as the last and greatest of the Old-Covenant-style prophets — fulfilling Malachi 4:5 (the return of Elijah), preparing the way for the Messiah, but explicitly subordinate to Jesus ("He must increase, but I must decrease," John 3:30). This framing matters for the theological interpretation of his ministry.

Catholic vs Protestant emphasis

Both traditions celebrate John the Baptist:

• Catholic: feast day June 24 (the Nativity of John the Baptist, six months before Christmas), August 29 (the Beheading) — both feasts have substantive liturgical observance
• Protestant: less liturgical emphasis, but John remains central in Advent devotion across mainline Protestant traditions

What's coming next for John the Baptist content

Publishing priorities:

• The Advent John the Baptist bundle — 4-week Advent devotional pack
• John the Baptist in icon style — Eastern Orthodox tradition
• The Nativity of John the Baptist — June 24 feast day pages
• John's disciples becoming Jesus' disciples — Andrew, John the Apostle

If you're teaching a John the Baptist unit (often during Advent), email us.

Related Bible characters and themes

• All Bible characters — Old and New Testament figures
• Jesus Christ — whom John baptized in the Jordan
• Mary — visited Elizabeth, John's mother
• Dove symbol — the Holy Spirit at Jesus' baptism
• Advent 2025 — John is the central Advent figure
• New Testament hub — gospel complete catalog

— Sarah Mitchell, Christian Education Editor